Page 66 of Resilience

Deaf people were on social media, of course. In fact, social media had provided a wide-open door for Deaf folks to participate in the general culture in new and powerful ways. But Athena’s skepticism about her mother’s social media plan wasn’t about whether other women Hunter had dated were on TikTok and might see the accusations on their FYP. Her concern was that there weren’t that many women he might have hurt in similar ways. The pool of single Deaf women of appropriate age in Oklahoma was a puddle. And again, if his father, a lawyer and a political advisor to the mayor, got wind of it, he could make a nasty mess.

So ... no to forging his name on sex offender lists, no to a social media campaign. But Mom’s third idea had some potential.

Athena’s thoughts were interrupted by her phone vibrating in her pocket. She set the pot of marinara sauce on the range, pulled off the vinyl gloves, and extracted her phone.

Sam! His goofy photo filled her screen.

“It’s Sam!” she signed.

Aunt Sage grinned. “Well, get out of here, then. Tell him we love him.”

“I will.” She answered the call as she left the kitchen.

Blanche padded after her. Athena had taken the dog’s working vest off yesterday and not bothered to put it back on. There was too much commotion in the clubhouse to force her dog to stay on the clock and try to keep aware of it all, and there were plenty of people around to do the hearing Athena couldn’t, anyway.

As soon as Sam’s actual, live face filled her screen, Athena burst into tears. He looked so hurt and sick, and she was so glad to see him!

“Hey,” he signed. “Are those for me? I’m okay, Frodo. I’m okay.”

“I was so scared!” she signed while she fought with her waterworks. She fucking hated to cry, but she’d been boo-hooing all over the clubhouse.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he signed, looking sincerely worried about her. He was worried about her, while he was sitting in a hospital bed because he’d been shot.

“You look like shit,” she signed. He really did. He was pale and gaunt, a huge bandage covered most of his neck, there were still traces of blood edging his beard, and his hair was up in so many directions he looked like an anime character.

He grinned. “People keep saying that.”

Athena got control of her stupid tears and swiped the wet from her face. “Well it’s true. How are you, really?” She headed up to the crash pads—she wanted a private place to talk, and she’d forgotten her tripod, so she needed a place where she could prop the phone and have both hands free.

“I really am okay. I mean, I’m sore, and I hope you like scars, because they let me look when they came in to change the bandages, and I’m going to have a couple righteous ones. But I’m okay. My tank’s full again, and all my levels look good, whatever that means. No cap, the worst thing is the fucking tube up my dick. That could go away any time.” She saw him laugh, and he looked away for a second. “Is that stuff still okay to say to you?”

“What? Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know. It’s not ... hot ... and that’s something we do now. Right? You didn’t change your mind?”

He could be such a dope. “Don’t be stupid, Samwise. I did not change my mind. I’ve been losing my mind for days, needing to talk to you and see you and make sure you’re okay. Because I love you. I’m in love with you. Like I told you. Even when you’re a dummy. If you start acting different with me because you think you need to be hot all the time, let me remind you how many times I’ve popped your back zits for you. There’s no point in trying to be hotter than you are, because I know exactly how gross you are.”

“Ouch,” he signed, grinning.

She laughed. “If it helps, I think you’re very hot, back zits and dick tubes notwithstanding.”

“Is that new?” he asked.

Athena glanced at her top, a tee from the last year’s Field Day at her school. He wasn’t talking about that. “Is what new?”

“You thinking I’m hot. Is that new?”

“I have eyes, Samwise. I’ve had them since I was born, and they’ve always worked fine.”

His color improved suddenly and markedly. He was blushing. His hands came up and went down a few times as he tried to think how to respond.

Athena let him off the hook. “I guess it’s like that thing you told Lark when she asked if you thought I was pretty. What did you tell her?” She remembered, but she wanted to see him tell her again.

“That I know you’re beautiful.”

“Me too. I’ve known how beefcake you are for a long time. It just means something more now.”

“I miss you so fucking much, Athena. I wish you were here.”

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